Innovation in consumer packaged goods isn't a luxury in today's competitive market - it's a necessity. In an uncertain economic environment, most companies are struggling to achieve organic growth. "Driving both the top and bottom line has been elusive," says Girish Gulvady, director of integrated demand management and food service planning with Campbell Soup Co. "Innovation is filling that void."
Having information and processes trapped in operational silos is a continuing problem that keeps many businesses from performing as well as they should, says Paul Boris, vice president of collaborative manufacturing at SAP, in an interview with Greg Gorbach, vice president-collaborative manufacturing, ARC Advisory Group
An integrated point-of-sale IT strategy will help CPG firms gain valuable insight into consumption data that can pave the way for a positive impact in a number of important areas. They include new/improved product formulation, inventory optimization, supply chain optimization, trade promotion management and optimization, and demand/forecast optimization. Furthermore, an integrated POS strategy can create a win-win for all stakeholders involved, including the retail partners.
As a culture of "bring your own device" takes hold in the business world, solutions providers face the challenge of ensuring that their applications work well on a variety of operating systems, says Mike Maris, senior director for transportation and logistics at Motorola Solutions.
The data explosion: so much to look at, so much to sift through! We are so fascinated with big! Big boats, big cigars and big shoes. But what, really, is big data? What does it mean to your business? And how can you or should you manage it? Although adoption of the buzz word is new, the management of big data is not.
The Supply Chain Risk Leadership Council was formed around 2005 by Cisco Systems Inc. It was created to bring together risk-management experts who could share best practices and bring process standardization to the way in which risks are identified in the global supply chain, according to John J. Brown, director of risk management with The Coca-Cola Co.
FPS Hong Kong, a non-vessel operating common carrier and member of the Famous Pacific Shipping Group, is launching direct ocean groupage service to Honolulu, Hawaii.
Netflix executives John Ciancutti and Todd Yellin are trying to create a video-recommendation system that knows you better than an old friend. It's a critical mission as Netflix faces pressure from its internet video rivals and subscribers still smarting from recent price hikes.
Chainalytics LLC, a provider of supply-chain intelligence, analytics and advisory services, has introduced Integrated Freight Market Intelligence (iFMI).